


She

by Zeeba123



Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27841141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeeba123/pseuds/Zeeba123
Summary: Tony hadn't known it at the time, but his life would never be the same.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. ūnus

**Author's Note:**

> This story is one where Loki tells Thor that he was mind-controlled during the first Avengers movie and this causes Odin to kill Thanos before he is too powerful. As such, Infinity War and End Game never happen. Tony has realized that Pepper and him are horrible together and they have broken up.

She was a diamond in a sea of coal.  
Anthony Edward Stark, in all of his 47 years of living, had never seen anything so beautiful. Distantly, in the back of his alcohol addled brain, Tony knew that this was a horrible idea - there were reporters galore just waiting for a chance to take a bite out of him - but, ruthlessly crushing any lingering doubt he may have had in the back of his mind, he waded through the crowd of paparazzi and slid right up to her.  
\-------------

Surprisingly, it didn't turn out to be as horrid as it could have. By all means, it should have. After all, he had been very inebriated at the time- making a horrible first impression,( HA! If only his dad could see..) and rather impolitely propositioned the lady for a quick, no- strings attached, rendezvous in his Audi. (Looking back- this had seemed like a perfectly good idea at the time) Years later, Tony would applaud himself rather noisily, for this ill-thought-out idea would turn out to be quite possibly the best happenstance that he could have ever been in. For if he hadn't (rather improperly) introduced himself, he would have never met the splendid Lucia Isabella Alcantara of Spain. (No, it is not pronounced "Lu-see-ah"- it is "Lu- cha", you have no choice in the matter. Tony can attest to that himself. Also, the 'of Spain' was mandatory )

The rather dramatic address of her name was shortly followed off by a clear rebuff of his offer to 'rendezvous' in his 'vehicle'. (Out of all the things she could have said, she chose the word *vehicle*, really?) She then motioned to the ivory crucifix residing around her neck, and then further derived him from recovering his wounded ego by heading him off with, " And truly? If you want to me to bear you an heir to the Stark fortune that badly then I suggest you at least attempt to romance my, as you so nicely put it, ' delicate sensibilities.' If you desire me then you must first convince me that you are worthy of my time." (Tony has no idea when he said anything about 'delicate sensibilities,' or 'an heir'.Truly, all he can remember was the unflinching gaze of her light grey eyes and how gorgeous she was in that blush dress.)  
Alas, before he could even get a word of edgewise in she gave a slight nod, turned sharply on her heel, and disappeared from his life.  
\--------

Indeed, the next morning the front page of the New York Times boasted, " TONY STARK NOW DESIRES AN HEIR TO THE STARK FORTUNE- COULD YOU BE THE NEXT MRS. STARK?" Strangely enough, the article itself said nothing revealing abut Lucia herself, only mentioning her in oversight. The billionare had, at the time decided to banish all memory of her from his mind and moved on.  
For about two weeks.  
It could have been her eyes that got him in the end. (They would always get him, even decades later).  
Jarvis certainly was no help in the matter. After witnessing the exchange between Tony and Lucia, he started to question Tony on topics such as, ‘ who will be the heir to the Stark fortune.’ Jarvis certaintly, however, did it in good humor, despite the Starks’ grumbling on the matter.  
\-----------

If anything, it wasn’t nervousness that caused him to wait so long to decide to pursue her, although that certainly played a part in it. After all, he had made up his mind within the first week that he wanted to talk to her again. Instead, it was how utterly difficult it was to track her down. Even Jarvis couldn’t figure out where she would be in any given moment, for it seemed as if in one moment she was at a charity drive in Boston, and the next in Philidelphia - of all the places- PHILIDELPHIA? -doing charity work for poor orphans in Maine. Her schedule was so chaotic that the only place that she would always be for certain was church. (He really should have seen this coming from the first moment he saw that cross around her neck) Loathe as he was to attend any religious service, especially a Christian one- (mama?)- he was determined to at least see her again. So, dressing smartly in a suit -(Howard would be proud)- he made his decision.  
\-----------

She certainly was a vision. Dressed in an elegant pale dress and heels, and adorned with a headscarf-(mantilla? Tony was unsure but he knew that it was made of lace)- she would have been at home inside a fashion magazine. Tony, a stark (HA! STARK! Get it?) antibeliver in fate and destiny knew immediately that he was meant, in that moment, to be where he was, right there with her.  
\-----------

His love for her was quick in arrival and stubborn in departure. Despite his initial reluctanace, Pepper had left a bitter taste in his mouth- they were married within the following year, and their firstborn son followed shortly after. (When he found out she was pregnant, he wept with all joy and terror he was capable of. They named him Raphael. Tony was proud to say that he became a father of four, three boys and one girl.)  
She was the picture of perfection to him in all ways. After they were married, she took the position of CEO that Pepper used to have. (Because of her, Stark Industries was almost a governing power on Earth, donating resources to those in need and creating alliances between countries.) She never nagged him when he didn’t sleep and was always there to protect him from night terrors while he was asleep. For once, someone had time for him, something that no one else in his life ever had.  
\------------

Her favorite name for him was,’ St. Anthony the Great.’ (He never did find out why she addressed him as such, she refused to say why) And his name for her was ,’ Dove.’ (She apparently had no idea why he called her that, he, in turn, refused to say why.) It took him many years, but he finally gave up to the wills of a greater power and was baptized. (Until the day he died, he never forget the look of pure love on her face as she witnessed his rebirth). 

\-----------

She was a diamond in a sea of coal, and he would love her for the rest of his life.


	2. 2

The all-encompassing stench of liquor was what Tony Stark first acknowledged upon his awakening. The feeling of inner disgust followed soon after. The events of the previous afternoon chased his thoughts as he surveyed the alcohol bottles surrounding him. What went wrong?  


Perhaps that was the wrong question. If anything, he should be wondering if anything had ever went right. Indeed, as the man walked slowly to the window, he thought of both his declining health, both mentally and physically. It was true, at nearly his 5th decade of life Tony wasn’t getting any younger. As a child, imagining what his future would be like kept him going. Now it just slowed him down. Tony sighed as he looked at the setting sun. In many ways, his childhood reflected his adulthood. As a boy, his father was no more interested in his upbringing than he was in Pluto. A distant object that he might look into in the future. His mother was little better. The media saw her as little more than a trophy wife, a pretty plaything for the famous Howard Stark. They were close to the truth. An Italian by birth, the only thing she left to Tony was his olive skin and thick hair. Growing up, the only thing she ever truly imparted to him on ways of knowledge was her detestation of Christianity. Why she hated it, the boy had no clue. He was told that Christianity was just something he should hate as well.  


After they both died, Obie was the only staple he had in his life. After he found out about his betrayal, he had no one. Then came the entire mess with the Avengers and the invasion. He had thought, fleetingly, that they would stay, but of course, they didn’t. And then Pepper- his Pepper. He knew immediately after they started their relationship that she wasn’t for him. She was too demanding, too free, too busy. When he caught her telling SHIELD private information about Stark Industries; and then publicly stating on live tv that his health was quickly declining, he ended the travesty of a relationship that they had together, leaving room only for a strictly professional one. But yesterday afternoon she decided to put together a board meeting, not invite him, and then proceed to demand that the board got rid of him, Tony Stark. Jarvis alerted him to the situation, and left with no other choice, he removed her from the position of CEO. The torrent of insults that she released on him after that move deeply hurt him, especially since most of them were based on secrets he told her when he was the most deeply vulnerable- usually after one of his panic attacks. Afterward, the only thing he could remember doing was drinking to his misery until he passed out.  


Contrary to popular belief, Anthony Stark was able to remember things when he knew they were important. He knew that there was a gala tonight, and he knew that as the newly reinstated CEO he had to appear; if only to show a united front against his opponents. Yes, Tony Stark is alive. No, Stark Industries will not collapse under his leadership.  


There was also the practical side to it. The Stark knew that if he didn’t get out of his tower now, that he wouldn’t for a long time.  
The billionaire strode into his suite, absentmindedly telling Jarvis to send for Happy to drive him.


End file.
